The invention relates to a machine for candling articles, such as hatching-eggs, fed on a so-called hatching frame on which the eggs are disposed in juxtaposed rows, which machine comprises a plurality of light measuring systems each including a light source and a sensor, by means of which systems the transmission of light through an egg can be measured: as a fecundated egg absorbs more light than a sterile one, the degree of absorption or transmission is indicative of the fact whether or not the egg is a fecundated one.
In such a prior art machine, which is known from French patent No. 2,455,282, a plurality of eggs disposed beside and behind each other is measured simultaneously. In this prior machine, the light sources are mounted in suction pads to be each time moved towards the article to be measured: this is done to prevent false light and reflection from adjacent eggs from affecting the measurement. Practice has shown that such prevention is insufficient: light emanating from one egg can still reach the sensor associated with an adjacent egg.